Ch. 741..750
Chapter 741
Chapter 741 Cassidy Took The Creatures Away
“Should we inform Cassidy?” Rayna suggested as she buckled herself up.
“You can decide on that,” came Curtis' answer.
Rayna pulled out her phone to call Cassidy, but the latter's phone was switched off. After some thought, she decided to try the landline and see if anyone at home would pick up. To her surprise, a young voice, which sounded like it belonged to either Yasmin or Yuna, answered the call. “Hello.”
“Yasmin?” Rayna asked uncertainly.
“Oh, Ms. Belle,” Yasmin greeted her. “Why did you call?”
“We'll be arriving home late today. Are you comfortable with being by yourself at the house while we are away?” Rayna questioned carefully.
“Sure,” Yasmin replied.
“Great. Remember to tell Cassidy if she comes home later,” Rayna told her. After hearing Yasmin's reply, she then ended the call.
“Yasmin is at home alone,” Rayna muttered under her breath. “What about Yuna? Where could she be?”
Even though Yasmin didn't mention specifically that Yuna wasn't around, from the way she spoke, it was evident that she was alone.
“Maybe someone picked her up and sent her home,” Curtis responded casually.
“Cassidy isn't home yet.” Rayna was concerned to learn that Cassidy was still with Andrew.
“She'll be fine. If anything were to happen, it would have occurred earlier on. Andrew would not have been so patient as to wait until this point in time,” Curtis comforted her as he was afraid she would be overly concerned.
The car drove slowly into an alley. As it reached the end of the alley, it made a left turn, gliding onto the adjoining street.
Rayna raised her head and spotted the signboard for the police station.
After the car rolled to a stop at the entrance, they got out of the car and walked into the police station.
Inside, Rayna saw the police officers she had encountered at Ashley's house earlier.
This time, their faces were drawn and taut with careful expressions when they saw Rayna and the like.
“Where is the archives room?” Curtis asked solemnly.
“This way, please.” A young police officer led the way to the archives room.
After bringing them there, he was sensible enough to leave them alone.
Rayna and Curtis stepped into the room. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the racks lined with files. Each one was carefully labeled with the date and category.
J and Vance immediately started looking through the files. Seeing that, Rayna also joined in as well.
Curtis followed behind her.
They walked to the rack at the far corner of the room and noticed that the files on it were labeled with the year that Rayna had gone to Shvomhid Mountain.
Out of curiosity, Rayna reached out and retrieved a file to read it.
Curtis raked his gaze over the items placed in transparent files on the rack until he spotted a sample in one of the files. He retrieved it to get a better look at it.
Rayna looked up and happened to notice the file in his hands. “Let me take a look at that.”
Hearing her words, Curtis offered the file to her readily.
“This looks familiar,” Rayna remarked as she took a photo of the sample. “I think I saw this previously on Shvomhid Mountain.”
“Are you sure?” Curtis questioned.
Jayfort was situated at a considerable distance from Shvomhid Mountain, and these two locations had distinct climatic conditions.
“They look similar. This was from a long time ago, so I'm not that sure.” Rayna observed the sample several times before returning it to the rack.
“What about you? Did you find anything?” she asked J and Vance.
“A little. During the span of three years, a great number of youth emigrated away from the town, with some purchasing properties in other places. The townspeople weren't rich, to begin with.” Vance handed a thick file to Rayna. “In the same period, many people died in this town. In turn, the families of the deceased departed the town to buy houses in the city or set up their own businesses.”
Rayna took the file from him and began to skim through its contents. After flipping through two pages, a look of puzzlement crossed her face. “Wait a minute. Why would this be recorded? It's normal to document the deaths of people, but why would there be an account of the financial situation of these individuals?” she inquired, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
Hearing that, Curtis took the file from her and went through it. He, too, had the feeling that something was not quite right. “It's customary to keep a record of the population but not of the financial situation.”
He continued perusing the file and was surprised to find that the document also contained the current addresses of the people who had left the town.
“Even if they were to document the addresses, it should be done so in a different file,” Rayna chimed in.
“You're right. It appears that the majority of the townspeople who left were paid for their involvement in the experiment. That's why all of their information was documented here, and the police officers must have recorded all of it in accordance with the instructions of their superiors.” Curtis closed the file and
glanced at the archives room. “They had no way of knowing that this would happen, so they didn't bother to hide the details.”
“The powerful and influential people here colluded, giving them the freedom to do whatever they wanted,” Vance added. He then offered another file to Rayna. “Take a look at this. Could this be from Shvomhid Mountain as well?”
Rayna observed the little bug carefully before realizing it was a hexagonal ladybug. “Yes. This bug only appears there.”
“Our guess was right. The people here had been to Shvomhid Mountain,” Vance said as he placed the file into his bag. “I'm taking this back to the research center. I'll also take the bug that you found earlier.”
Rayna gave the file, which she had taken a photo of, to him. “Are you going to examine it?”
“Mm. We know what they are up to but don't have enough evidence. That said, the more evidence we have, the easier it will be to make a solid case against them,” Vance explained. He took a pair of gloves from his briefcase and put them on. “I should make another copy of the evidence we have so far, just in case something goes wrong.”
As Vance and J got to work, Curtis and Rayna didn't disturb them and focused on going through the other information and files in the archives room.
It was late at night when they returned to the Gilroy residence.
The courtyard was brightly lit, and the door was wide open. Rayna walked into the house and discovered it was eerily silent. Hence, she called Yasmin's name a few times.
Yasmin soon walked out, looking sleepy. “Oh, it's you. Where is Ms. Cassidy?”
Rayna approached Yasmin and saw Yuna coming out as well. She was surprised as she thought Yuna had already left. “Oh, I didn't expect to see you here, Yuna!”
“Well, Ms. Cassidy told Yuna to stay as she didn't want to return to the mansion,” Yasmin explained.
“Cassidy isn't back yet.” Rayna glanced at Curtis. “Could Mr. Zeller...”
Curtis said nothing. He initially assumed Andrew wouldn't hurt Cassidy, but he couldn't be sure of that now.
“Previously, Fernando said Andrew merely wanted to treat Cassidy to a meal. However, given that she has yet to return, I believe that there is more to the story,” Rayna revealed her thoughts. “Mr. Zeller isn't that old, leading me to believe that he is not actually Fernando's godfather.”
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Rayna. “Unless... Could Mr. Zeller and Cassidy—”
Curtis interjected, “Let's just wait and see. If she is still not back later, then we'll have to decide what we want to do.” After saying this, he proceeded to drag her into the house.
Robin stepped into the house behind Curtis and Rayna, who both got engrossed in their own tasks. He quietly made his way to his own bedroom.
As he opened the door, he noticed something strange - the cage that confined two small creatures was standing open, and the animals were nowhere to be found.
Rayna was sitting on the couch when she saw Robin dashing down the stairs. “What's wrong?” she inquired.
“The creatures are missing,” Robin reported anxiously.
Rayna's gaze landed on Yasmin and Yuna. “Were you both at home all the time today?” she asked, her voice even and steady.
The children nodded in response.
“Where did the creatures go? Did you notice where they went?” she continued in a soft voice.
Yasmin and Yuna shook their heads.
Rayna observed their reactions carefully before fixing her gaze on Yasmin. “Yasmin, tell me the truth.”
Yasmin pursed her lips and stole a quick, furtive glance at Yuna from the corner of her eye. She replied hesitantly, “I...”
“Ms. Cassidy took them with her,” Yuna cut in.
Chapter 742 Pet Store Suspect
Yuna's answer stunned Rayna for a moment. Cassidy's afraid of these small, curry creatures, so why would she bring them away by herself?
“Did Cassidy take them away herself?” Rayna asked.
In response, Yuna shook her head. “A pretty lady accompanied Ms. Cassidy upstairs and grabbed two of them.”
Pretty lady? Perplexed, Robin asked, “Those two don't let strangers touch them easily, though.”
“Then we don't know.” Yuna tugged Yasmin's shirt and explained, “They were obedient in the pretty lady's arms.”
“In that case, whoever took them away was someone they were familiar with,” speculated Rayna before she turned to Robin. “Who else could've interacted with them aside from us?”
When Robin saw the sharp look in her eyes, he licked his dry lips and said, “Mrs. Faymon, you're saying...”
“You know what I mean,” she uttered. I know that after Curtis entrusted those two to Robin's care, Robin took them to the girl who helped wash them in the past.
In response, he defended, “No, that can't be it. She won't—”
“Perhaps this was part of her plan all along. That day, in the hotel, no one could leave the building due
to the heavy rain. Yet, somehow, she coincidentally showed up in the hotel, even though she worked in the pet store. Have you thought about how odd that was?” From the very beginning, Rayna had been suspicious of that woman.
However, back then, she didn't overtly express her doubt.
“Those two have mostly been in your care, so tell me, where have you been purchasing their food and other items from, hmm?” Rayna questioned further. So far, during their stay at Jayfort, Curtis had mostly let Robin do what he wanted instead of dictating what he should do.
“I bought them from Milly's shop, but she won't—” Before Robin could finish his sentence, Rayna interrupted his defense.
With a serious tone, she reminded him, “You should know by now never to judge a book by its cover, Robin. Maybe she seems nice when interacting with you, but you can't deny the possibility that she's working for someone. I'm telling you now that I'll be verifying this matter with Curtis because I hope you won't intervene.” I can tell he likes the woman in the pet store. It's not that I don't trust him. It's just that when emotions are involved, it can be challenging to do the rational thing.
“Are you... doubting me, Mrs. Faymon?” Robin questioned with dissatisfaction.
“I'm not. I'm merely reminding you.” Rayna turned to Yuna and Yasmin. “You two should head upstairs first.”
The children nodded before ascending the staircase.
Moments later, Curtis, who had overheard the conversation, entered the living room and approached Robin when he saw the latter frowning at Rayna. “She doesn't mean anything else by that, Robin. You don't need to overthink it. Also, her reasoning isn't unsound. You did bring those two to the pet store for a bath, so it's safe to assume they let the woman bring them away because they were already familiar with her.”
“But Milly's just an ordinary woman. She won't...” Robin uttered softly. “I'm not lying to you both, Mr. Faymon. She'll never do that.”
After listening to what he said, Rayna shot a tacit look at Curtis. “I'm going to the bedroom to rest for a while.”
With that, she left the living room.
Once Rayna was out of Curtis' sight, he glowered at Robin. “It seems like I've been too lenient with you recently.”
In response to Curtis' admonishment, Robin lowered his head in silence.
“How dare you talk back to my wife?” Coldly, Curtis swept his gaze past Robin. “I'll send someone to investigate who the woman in the pet store is and her background. If Rayna is correct in her assumption, I expect you to apologize to her. However, if that woman is innocent, I'll apologize to you on behalf of Rayna.”
Upon ending his sentence, he returned to the kitchen.
Robin was rooted to his spot and gulped anxiously. First, he glanced at the kitchen. Then, he peered at
the staircase. Once the coast was clear, he sighed. I know I've gotten a little too emotional earlier. However, now that I've pissed both Mr. and Mrs. Faymon off, how am I supposed to ease the tension between us?
Instead of returning to her room, Rayna went to Robin's room after she reached the second floor.
Seeing that the door wasn't locked, she pushed it open and entered the room. The first thing she saw was the cage.
She ambled toward it and examined its surrounding, but she found nothing notable. Just as she was about to leave, she accidentally stepped on something.
She picked the object up and realized it was a small tablet.
Just as she wondered what it was, Robin returned to his room. In response, she handed the tablet to him. “Is this medicine yours?”
He glanced at it and shook his head. “No.”
“The animals', then?”
“No. Their deworming was conducted in the pet store. I didn't buy any medicine for them.” He grabbed the tablet and examined it. “Although, this one does look like the deworming medicine there.”
Just as he finished his sentence, he turned the tablet around and froze when he saw the words inscribed on the surface.
Upon noticing his odd reaction, she peered at the tablet in his hand. “You've seen this before?”
As much as Robin wanted to deny it, he spilled the beans when he met the sharp look in Rayna's eyes. “Yes, this is the brand of deworming medicine that the pet store has.”
She raised her eyebrow. “Considering I found that tablet here, it does mean the animals were taken away by someone working in the pet store, which I still think is Milly.”
Robin's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, making him look like a child who did something wrong.
Meanwhile, when Curtis went upstairs, he checked the bedroom, thinking Rayna was resting there already. However, when he saw she wasn't inside, he hurriedly searched for her before finding her in Robin's room. With a grim expression, he strode into the room.
The moment Robin saw Curtis, he automatically stepped to the side, increasing the distance between him and Rayna.
“Why are you here? I thought you wanted to rest?” inquired Curtis in a deep voice.
“I thought the culprit might have left something behind, so I came to check. I was right.” Peering at the tablet in Robin's hand, she continued, “It's the deworming medicine from the pet store.”
When Curtis saw the white tablet in Robin's palm, he questioned, “Are you sure?”
“I'm certain, but I don't know for sure if it's that girl. In any case, it would seem Mr. Zeller bought many people in the area off.”
“I'll handle this matter. You don't need to care about this.” Curtis didn't want Rayna to pay too much attention to matters she shouldn't worry about. “You haven't taken today's medicine yet. I've just prepared it, so don't forget to consume it after dinner.”
“The medicine Cassidy prepared...” Instead of completing her sentence, she looked at Curtis.
“I don't think she'll hurt you,” he assured calmly. “While the medicinal herbs in the warehouse may be dangerous, the examination report indicated that their consumption in controlled volume won't cause any harm. Besides, Cassidy didn't use the medicinal herbs from the warehouse in the medicine she prepared.”
In response, she nodded. “Have you checked the medicinal herbs in the dispensary yet?”
“No.”
“You should ask someone to grab some samples for analysis later.” While Rayna believed Cassidy wouldn't let anyone consume those unsafe medicinal herbs, she was confident the latter had a reason for keeping them.
Chapter 743 Dried Well
Rayna thought Cassidy would return after midnight, but the latter didn't show up even after sunrise.
Yasmin and Yuna had already woken up and were eating their breakfast in the dining room.
After Curtis cleaned up the kitchen and saw Rayna spacing out at the dining room entrance, he remarked, “What are you thinking about? You should eat your breakfast.”
She asked, “Cassidy isn't back yet?”
He responded with a shake of his head.
When Robin exited the courtyard and heard Rayna's question, he said, “I spotted this at the gate earlier.”
She turned around and saw a letter in his hand. After opening the letter, she realized there was an invitation inside.
“It's an invitation from Andrew.” Upon briefly reading through the content, she informed, “It seems like Mr. Zeller has detained Cassidy.”
Yasmin and Yuna exchanged a glance in response to hearing that before lowering their heads wordlessly.
While Curtis noticed their reaction, he didn't say anything. Instead, he briefly read the invitation's content and was confused by the presence of the word “exhibition” on it.
“Exhibition? What is he exhibiting?” Rayna was similarly confounded. I feel like this may not mean what we think it means.
He speculated, “Maybe it's about skincare products, seeing that Zeller Group recently expanded into the skincare industry.”
Meanwhile, she continued to scrutinize every centimeter of the invitation. The only notable thing about it was that it had gold-tinted edges.
Instead of interrupting her as she studied the invitation like a curious baby, he ushered her into the dining room.
Upon seating at the dining table, she put the invitation at the side and began eating. Yuna's line of sight never left the invitation after Rayna put it down.
Of course, Rayna noticed it, but she didn't point it out.
Yuna left the dining table and “accidentally” splashed some oatmeal on the invitation when she tried to get some.
In response, Rayna raised her eyebrow. Robin, who was standing at the side, promptly wiped the oatmeal on the invitation off with a piece of tissue paper.
Without delay, Yuna apologized, “I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose.”
“It's fine.” Rayna wasn't angered, despite knowing the girl had done it on purpose.
After witnessing that scene, Curtis exchanged a glance with Rayna and said, “Let me take a look at the invitation.”
Thus, Robin handed the wet invitation to his employer. When Curtis opened it, he saw the words had blurred and handed it to Rayna.
Rayna looked at it before peering at Yuna and placing it next to her hand.
After finishing her meal, she privately conversed with Curtis in the bedroom. “It would appear Yuna doesn't want us to go.”
“Are we still going?” Standing beside the window, he watched the two children playing in the courtyard.
“Of course.” She picked up the invitation sitting at the coffee table. “What do you think Mr. Zeller's goal is?”
He shifted his line of sight away from the window. “We'll know once we go.”
“Mhm.” Nodding, Rayna suggested, “The invitation says the exhibition is on next Tuesday, so should we still return to Norwal City first as per our plan?”
“It's your call.” In reality, Curtis didn't really want to attend the exhibition.
However, he knew Rayna was still concerned about Cassidy. Thus, he couldn't just ignore it.
“I thought that once we resolve Ashley's matter, other issues here would conclude, too.” Rayna leaned on the couch lazily and raised her eyebrow at Curtis. “Are we going to let Yasmin and Yuna stay here? We don't know when's Cassidy coming back.”
“I'll ask Robin to hire a housekeeper to care for them here. You don't need to worry about them.” As he spoke, he sat next to her and hugged her. “I'm just glad your eyes are back to normal now.”
“Mhm, I want to see my children. How about we video call them now?”
“We shouldn't. Just wait a little longer. After we return home, we'll be able to meet them.” He didn't want to video call the children because he loved them.
She nodded. I bet it's because he doesn't want to expose the children's identities. If someone with ulterior motives catches a glimpse of the children's appearances, they may do something terrible.
Standing in the middle of his bedroom and staring at the empty cage, Robin pulled out the medicinal tablet as Rayna's words repeated in his mind.
After a lengthy contemplation, he left the bedroom.
Upon hearing the roar of an engine, Rayna asked, “Did you ask someone to go out?”
Curtis let her go, stood before the window, and saw Robin's car speeding away. “It's Robin.”
Promptly, she arrived next to him and stared in the same direction as he was. “I'm guessing he's going to the pet store to meet with that girl. I'll ask James to follow him.”
She grabbed the phone on the coffee table and called James.
After their conversation ended, she hung up the phone and wondered, “Do you think Mr. Zeller has people in Yartran, Curtis?”
“I'll need to check, which won't be easy,” answered Curtis.
Smiling at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I believe you'll pull it off.”
He gently tapped her nose. “I don't have anything going on this afternoon, so if you're feeling restless, feel free to read through the information Theodore and Jeremy sent us. Maybe you'll notice something we didn't, seeing that women are more meticulous than men.”
“No problem.” Standing on her toes, Rayna landed a kiss on his cheek. “Let's work together.”
Hence, she spent the afternoon reading through the information. Meanwhile, Curtis conducted a thorough sweep of the Gilroy residence with his subordinates. They also took samples of the medical herbs kept on the premises, which would be analyzed again when it was time for him to return to Norwal City.
“We discovered a dry well in the courtyard, Mr. Faymon,” a subordinate reported. “There's a pile of stone at the well.”
In response, Curtis tossed the cigarette next to his foot, extinguished it, and uttered, “Take me there.”
The well was concealed by dry leaves, which was why no one had noticed it.
Standing next to the well, he ordered, “Go down there and take photos of what you see.”
His subordinates expeditiously grabbed a rope and lowered one of their own into the well.
It wasn't deep, so it didn't take long for that person to reach the bottom.
While gazing at the light in the well, Curtis commanded, “Send two more people down there.”
Thus, two more of his subordinates joined the first one in the well, and they began exploring. After a while, one of them accidentally kicked a wooden board. They removed the board and discovered a door underneath it.
“There's a door here, Mr. Faymon. It seems like a room is hidden underneath the well,” one of them reported to Curtis.
“Smash the door open and check what's inside,” directed Curtis.
Moments later, the people above ground lowered tools into the well to facilitate the exploration.
Chapter 745 Bloodstain
“Cassidy went there before. It was how I met her in the first place,” explained Rayna. “However, we still can't prove that no one else here but her went there before.”
“Where did the specimen in the police station come from?” Curtis studied the specimen in the glass bottle carefully. “This Arachrede seems complete and whole.”
“Then there has to be another person,” she stated confidently before wondering, “Why did Cassidy go to Shvomhid Mountain?”
Her question surprised him. “You don't know the reason?” I thought she'd know.
“I didn't think to ask her back then.” Rayna delved deep into her memory before shaking her head. “I traveled with her because she knew the plants better than me. So, it was nice to have her as a companion.”
The edges of Curtis' lips twitched when he heard that.
Upon spotting his reaction, she punched his arm. “Oh, don't look at me like that. It was normal for a girl of my age back then to have that kind of thought. Besides, we're both girls.”
Aside from the Arachrede, there were two pendants resembling a drop of blood and an envelope inside the box.
Vance handed the envelope to Rayna. After opening it, she realized there was a sketchbook inside.
Her expression grew grim with each page of drawing she flipped through. When she reached the last page, she saw a yellowed picture.
The woman in the picture looked identical to Cassidy. She wore a gown and had a warm smile on her face. In her arms was an infant.
Standing next to her was a young man, Andrew.
Astonished, James asked, “Is this Cassidy in the picture?”
“She looks like Cassidy, but... I don't think it's her. If it is, she should be older than all of us.” Rayna was perplexed, too. The date on the picture says it was taken in 2003, but Cassidy looks younger than me.
Suddenly, she recalled the picture of a woman Zeller Group posted on the internet. Swiftly, she compared the picture on her phone to the one in her hand.
Upon guessing Rayna's thoughts, Curtis said, “They aren't the same person.”
In response, she compared the two pictures again. “They're definitely not the same person, so what's going on? Are they mother and daughter?”
“It's possible. In that case, Andrew might've been her father. Although, are you absolutely certain Cassidy was the person you met when you were young?”
His question spurred her to interrogate herself. “Is it possible that the person I met back then was someone else?” It's unlikely, though, considering Cassidy looks about the same as when she was a
girl.
“That day, Cassidy was the one who recognized you. I don't think you knew who she was at first,” reminded Curtis.
Rayna nodded. “That's what happened, yeah. When she said she knew me, I just went along with it.”
“This isn't a minor issue, Rayna. You better think carefully,” cautioned James. “Don't tell me you got the wrong person. You've ingested the medicine she prepared for you, you know.”
“Don't look at me like that, okay? Let me think.” Losing her confidence, she returned to the house.
“Curtis, she...” James gazed at her back with worry before turning to Curtis.
Patting James' back, Curtis assured, “Let her think. I don't think she mistook Cassidy for someone else because she thought Cassidy was telling the truth when Cassidy recognized her.”
After entering the living room, Rayna thought about the matter long and hard. I still don't think I mistook Cassidy for the wrong person, even if she was the one who recognized me first. Although, the person in the picture unquestionably looked like her. Maybe it's her mother or someone related to her by blood?
She was so absorbed in her thoughts as she ascended the stairs that she didn't notice Yuna was walking toward her.
It wasn't until they almost bumped into each other that she lifted her head. “Yuna?”
“Mhm.” Yuna nodded as she peered at Rayna with a mischievous look.
Noticing that, Rayna asked, “What's the matter?”
“You don't seem to understand Ms. Cassidy's matter very well.”
“You can say that. I only met her once when I was young before meeting her here again.”
“Oh.” A realization appeared to have dawned on Yuna before she nodded while pouting. “So that's what it is.”
Upon noticing something was amiss from the girl's expression, Rayna softened her tone to bait information out of Yuna. “Do you have something important to share with me, Yuna?”
Shaking her head, Yuna pressed her finger in front of her lips. “I can't say.”
“Why not?” Rayna's curiosity was piqued.
“Because... It's a secret. I can't say.” Grinning, Yuna walked around Rayna and descended the stairs, repeating, “It's a secret. I can't say.”
The others in the courtyard overheard her words.
“Secret?” James muttered before turning to Curtis, who appeared calm.
When Rayna shifted her sight away from downstairs, she saw blood dripping on the steps.
She followed the trail of blood until she arrived in front of Cassidy's bedroom, where there was a puddle of it at the door.
Immediately, she called Curtis on the phone and uttered in a suppressed voice, “Come over to Cassidy's room right now. Take James with you.”
Upon detecting the abnormality in her voice, he dashed upstairs with James. “What's the matter, Rayna?”
While Curtis didn't notice the bloodstains, James did as he pointed at them. “Look.” Seconds later, he saw the blood puddle at the door when he turned to Rayna, which stunned him.
Curtis pulled Rayna away and kicked the door open.
Without delay, James strolled into the room and saw that the window near the mountain was open. Then he checked for more bloodstains in the room and commented, “The blood seems like it belongs to a human.”
“Inspect the room. See if there're any hidden contraptions inside,” ordered Curtis.
Thus, James examined the walls and the bookshelves before shaking his head. “I'm not seeing anything out of the ordinary. The doorstep has the most amount of blood, while there are only a few drops everywhere else. Seeing how scattered the blood is, I can't tell if it's done on purpose or by accident.”
Still standing at the entrance, Rayna gazed at the puddle of blood, thought of something, and said, “Send someone to Ashley's place to check the situation there, Curtis.”
“Ashley?” Curtis, as well as James, turned to Rayna in unison, puzzled.
Chapter 746 A Passage To The Dried Well
Rayna lifted her eyes and fixed Curtis with an unwavering stare. “The color of the red roses in Ashley's courtyard is exceedingly suspicious. James, go and take a look at the flowers in Cassidy's courtyard. Then, compare the two.”
“Are you saying that Ashley was the person who sneaked into Cassidy's room?” Curtis asked.
“That possibility exists. The feel of the rose petals at their houses is too strange. While those at Cassidy's house here are large and vivid, they're normal, at the very least. However, the same can't be said of those in Ashley's courtyard. I'm wondering—since there's a dried well at Cassidy's house, could Ashley, a high achiever, and her family have something in their house that connects to this place?” Rayna enunciated, her expression both solemn and earnest.
While mulling things over, she continued, “Don't you find it strange that Ashley applied to be a cook here? Could it be that she wanted an excuse to be here to find something? Soon after she had settled here, some villagers came to raise a ruckus, and Cassidy used the so-called hellfire bird to scare them. Subsequently, Ashley's father-in-law died. Isn't that too much of a coincidence? Would a high achiever who studied medicine believe in something so supernatural in nature?” Her limpid eyes were pinned on Curtis.
“It was to divert attention and use something supernatural to mask what's truly going on,” James chimed in, taking up where she left off.
“Exactly. Also, there's Yuna's muttering earlier. A secret? What's the secret? That aside, are the individuals in the photo really Mr. Zeller and Cassidy?” Rayna gave a detailed analysis of her conjectures.
At once, James and Rayna trained their eyes on her. All three of them wore somber expressions on their faces.
“I'll tell J to use Zita's connections to investigate this matter.” As Curtis spoke, he spun on his heel and left.
Meanwhile, Rayna went into Cassidy's bedroom. Standing beside her, James grabbed her to stop her from doing so. “Rayna,” he uttered.
“It's okay. I'm just going to take a look.” She shook off his hand and stepped into the room, her eyes fixed on the sizable bed.
“James,” she called out to James and signaled for him to examine the bed by shooting a glance at it.
Afterward, she walked over to the window by the corridor. Quirking her brow, she beckoned at Curtis and the men around him. “My hand is injured, Curtis. Come up and have a look at it for me.”
Curtis strode upstairs with his men. Rayna then pointed to the bed in the bedroom before retreating to the side. Consequently, he motioned his bodyguards to uncover the bed.
Two bodyguards stepped forward and flipped the covers. Alas, there was nothing underneath.
Rayna proceeded to point at the underside of the bed and the bed board, gesturing for them to examine the bottom of it.
The bodyguards tapped on the bed board, only to discover that the echo was not quite right.
“Remove it,” Curtis ordered in a deep voice.
Following that, the bodyguards removed the bed board. To their surprise, there was a passage under the bed.
Rayna walked over. She shone her phone's flashlight down the passage and caught sight of a bloodstain. “There's a bloodstain, Curtis.”
Curtis went over and glanced at the blood staining the inner wall. His eyes darkened a shade. “Go down and have a look at things. Be careful while at it.”
The bodyguard in the lead immediately climbed down the ladder under the bed. On the heels of that, a second bodyguard followed. Before he did so, James took a tiny device out of his pocket and handed it to the man. “Attach it to your shirt. With this, we'll be able to see the situation inside there on the laptop.”
No sooner had James said that than he quickly got a laptop over. His fingers flew over the keyboard, and he connected the device.
Rayna and Curtis stood beside him, staring at the image on the laptop screen.
“It seems to be a laboratory down here. There are a few boxes here, but they're all locked,” the bodyguard said to those above through the device.
Rayna studied the place shown on the screen. “Have them snap photos of the notes on the wall and
the documents on the table.”
After saying that, she mused, “How could there be this sort of place under Cassidy's bed as well?” Although she did not trust Cassidy fully, she did not feel that the latter would do such an outrageous thing.
“You can just ask her about these things later. Perhaps she has a justifiable reason,” Curtis coaxed upon noticing that she was in a bad mood.
“Yeah.” Rayna nodded.
The two bodyguards who went down did not find anyone or anything related to the bloodstain. Just when they were about to make their way back up, one of their phones happened to illuminate a side of the wall.
Through the image on the laptop screen, Rayna glimpsed a speck of light on the wall. “Wait! Don't come up first. Try touching the wall on your left.”
Right after her words had rung out, one of the bodyguards reached out an arm and pushed at the wall beside them. He then groped around and discovered a spot that could move, so he shoved at it hard.
A stone door swiveled open, revealing a well-constructed path in front of them. The two bodyguards stepped onto it and forged ahead until they reached a dead end.
“Try and see if there are other doors,” Rayna instructed, standing in front of the laptop.
Using the same method, the two bodyguards found another revolving stone door. That time around, it
no longer revealed a passage but the dried well in the backyard.
Rayna scrutinized the image on the laptop screen. “Curtis, you all didn't see any movement at the dried well in the backyard earlier, yes?”
“Nope,” Curtis answered honestly.
“Try again and see whether there's a second revolving stone door,” Rayna commanded again.
The two bodyguards under the dried well then groped around once more, but there was nothing else to be found. “There's no other door.”
“All right. Come back up first.” Rayna was content with everything she had seen. While she did not know everything yet, she had obtained some useful information, at the very least.
“What are you thinking about?” Curtis asked when he noticed her standing quietly at the side while looking all pensive.
Rayna swept her gaze across the bloodstain on the ground. “I'm wondering about the identity of the person who came in earlier. Were they aware of this passage in Cassidy's room from the very beginning, or did they discover it by accident? Also, how did the blood disappear? Other than the bloodstains on the inner wall under the bed, there's no blood anywhere else.”
“Don't brood over it anymore. When the time is right, everything will come to light.” He led her out of the bedroom and ordered someone to clean the bloodstain in the room. Rayna eyeballed the bloodstain once more. Out of curiosity, she squatted down, bringing her nose close to it and taking a sniff. There was a coppery hint of blood, but it also carried the faint fragrance of flowers.
Rayna reached out an arm and swiped a finger through the liquid. Rubbing it against the tip of her finger, she was surprised to discover that the red liquid was not blood. Naturally, Curtis witnessed it all.
James whirled around and happened to see it as well. “Is that not blood, Rayna?”
In response, she nodded. “Yeah, it isn't. It only looks like blood.”
Bending down, he reached out to swipe a finger through the red liquid. “It's a bit like paint, but the smell doesn't match.”
“Could it be something recently developed?” Rayna tossed out a bold conjecture.
“It's possible.” James straightened his body and threw a look at Vance, who instantly came over with a glass vial.
The latter took some of the red liquid with a dry swab before placing the swab into the vial. “We'll know after performing a test.”
Upon learning that it was not blood, Rayna breathed a sigh of relief.
“Perhaps someone wanted to steal some medicinal herbs from Cassidy and accidentally knocked something over,” Curtis surmised at the side.
“Yeah, that's what I think, too,” Rayna concurred. Then, she stood up and shifted her eyes to the man. “By the way, when Yuna went downstairs, she asked me if I wasn't all that familiar with Cassidy. I admitted to it and inquired about her reason for putting such a question to me, but she said it was a
secret. To me, it seemed like she wanted to tell me something but did not have the courage to do so.”
“She's always like that, acting all eccentrically. Rayna, you should have as little contact with her as possible,” James interjected at the side. Yuna had made a bad impression on him.
Chapter 747 Cannot Get In Touch
Rayna knew that James was indeed speaking the truth. Even so, she chose to retain her own opinion.
After leaving Cassidy's bedroom, Rayna followed Curtis back to the backyard, where she stood before the dried well, bent down, and scrutinized the inner wall.
“I've already had someone check it thoroughly, and they didn't find anything else.” At the sight of her actions, Curtis knew she was looking for the red “bloodstain” that appeared in Cassidy's bedroom.
“Could there be another passage under the well? Otherwise, how did that person leave?” Rayna raised her eyes and gazed at him.
Curtis' expression darkened. Waving a hand, he beckoned someone over. “Go down again and check if there's another passage down there.”
The bodyguard who went down previously made another trip into the dried well.
Rayna carefully inspected the plants and other decorations around the dried well but still did not manage to spot anything suspicious.
“There's another door down here, Mr. Faymon.” The voice of the bodyguard who went down the well again drifted into the air.
Hearing that, Rayna and Curtis exchanged glances.
“Follow the path and see where it leads,” Curtis ordered.
Shortly after, the bodyguard who went down came back from outside the residence. “The path led straight to the steps at the river across, Mr. Faymon.”
Curtis went with him to the river across the road from the house and studied the door masked by a citrus tree.
The door's appearance was the same as the rocks at the riverside, so it was hard to discern it without looking closely. Furthermore, it had the citrus tree as camouflage.
“Go and get the surveillance footage outside the residence. See whether anyone passed by here.” Curtis cast a look at the bodyguard, signaling for him to deal with it immediately.
Rayna stood on the steps and stared at the open door. A moment later, she turned around and swept her gaze across the riverbank. However, no one was there.
“Usually, there would be people washing clothes and kids playing by the riverbank, but not today.” While speaking, she glanced at the time on her phone. “In the past, there would have been people here at this hour,” she added afterward.
At that, Curtis directed his gaze to the riverbank. Hmm, the weather today is pretty good, so it's indeed odd that there's no one by the river at this time.
Rayna retracted her gaze and went up the steps to stand beside him before commenting casually, “The residents of this town appear to be pretty united.”
“Let's just wait and see.” Holding her hand, Curtis pivoted on his heel and returned to the courtyard. By a stroke of coincidence, they spotted Yasmin walking over from the backyard.
“Are you looking for Yuna?” Judging from the way the girl was darting her eyes around, Rayna could tell that she was searching for someone.
“Yeah. She was reading a book with me in the bedroom, but she was gone when I lifted my head,” Yasmin replied solemnly.
“She probably went out to play. You're familiar with this town, so you can go and look for her. Perhaps she went somewhere for fun.” Rayna pointed outside the courtyard.
“Okay!” Yasmin nodded and left right away.
“Have someone follow her.” No sooner had Rayna said that to Curtis than a bodyguard walked out of the residence after Yasmin.
“Yuna must have seen it. The secret she mentioned on the staircase earlier might very well be linked to whatever we found in Cassidy's bedroom,” Rayna concluded.
In response to her conjecture, Curtis' gaze on her darkened. “For some reason, I find that your vigilance nowadays has increased significantly.”
With a brow arched, Rayna threw him a sidelong glance. “I just want to figure out what's going on in this town as soon as possible. While at that, I can also resolve my own issue.”
Subsequently, Curtis wrapped an arm around her, and the two of them headed into the house. On their
way, they saw Robin walking down the corridor with a rather grim expression on his face.
“What's wrong?” Curtis regarded him with a solemn look. At the same time, he stole a peek at Rayna out of the corner of his eye and noticed her sizing Robin up.
“I can't get in touch with Milly anymore,” Robin admitted slowly.
His response startled Curtis. Meanwhile, Rayna clarified, “The girl from the pet shop?”
“Yeah.” Robin dipped his head a fraction.
Curtis fixed his ebony eyes on Robin. “You're very close with her?”
Pressing his lips into a thin line, Robin hung his head.
Rayna tugged at the hem of Curtis' shirt. “Fluffy and Furry got their grooming done at the girl's shop previously.”
Her explanation caused his gaze on Robin to darken further.
“Have you asked the other employees in the shop?” Rayna questioned.
“Yeah. They said she didn't go to the shop yesterday.” A hint of anxiety was visible on Robin's face. Verily, he was reluctant to believe that Fluffy and Flurry's disappearance had something to do with Milly.
However, he could not deny the truth after the deworming medicine was found inside the house.
“They're probably in cahoots. Back when she appeared at the hotel, it was most likely pre-planned by the other party,” Rayna murmured at the side.
But I wonder what the person's motive is for planting Fluffy and Furry by my side.
She eyed Curtis, who was wearing a cold expression on his face, before saying to Robin in a gentle voice, “If you're truly worried, drive around and look for her. If you still can't find her, remember to inform us about it.”
As she spoke, she waved a hand at the man in dismissal.
Robin took a glance at Curtis. The latter's silence deterred him from making any movement.
Seeing that, Rayna reached out a hand and tugged at Curtis' sleeve. Only then did the man utter, “Go ahead. Also, be careful.”
The moment Robin obtained his employer's permission, he frantically sprinted out.
“Have someone follow him,” Rayna suggested with a smile, lifting her eyes to glance at Curtis.
“Okay,” he agreed and looked down at her with a slight crinkle of his eyes.
Evening fell, but Yasmin and Yuna did not return. Even Robin was not back yet.
Rayna glanced at the luggage behind her, which Curtis had packed. “None of them have returned.”
“Let's not wait anymore. We'll set out first. At the same time, we'll arrange for someone to stay and
keep guard here.” Just as Curtis had ended his phone call with Theodore, the bodyguards outside the courtyard stepped in and took the luggage before wheeling them out.
“Will they be fine? I wonder how Cassidy is doing right now.” Rayna was still somewhat worried.
Right after her question had fallen from her lips, Curtis handed his phone to her. “Have a look at the message Jeremy sent me.”
She reached out and took the phone from him. While scanning her eyes over the contents shown on the screen, her brows furrowed imperceptibly. “Is this true?”
Dipping his eyes, Curtis swept a placid glance over his phone screen. “Yeah. It's been verified. You can rest easy about Cassidy.”
“But isn't Mr. Zeller the godfather of Fernando? Cassidy has an engagement to Fernando... How could this be...” For a moment, Rayna could not accept the truth. “Could it be that Mr. Zeller's age isn't accurate?” she guessed.
“His age is accurate, and it's also true that he had been married. Additionally, the information you read about Hayley on Zeller Group's official website back then was legit. The only mystery is the identity of Andrew's wife,” Curtis explained.
“Wasn't the person wearing the same ring as Mr. Zeller his wife?” Puzzlement washed over Rayna.
“Yeah, probably. But there are a lot of wedding rings with the same design, so it might also be a mere coincidence.” While speaking calmly, he stretched out an arm and wrapped it around her. “Considering that Cassidy prepared some medicine for you before she left, I reckon she must have known she
wouldn't have the time to do so later,” he continued.
No sooner had he uttered that last sentence than Rayna saw a bodyguard coming out of the dispensary with a large bag of medicine. It did not look as though it was only for a few days. “Could you have taken the wrong bag?” she asked.
Chapter 748 Back To Norwal City
“It's the right one. There's a note on top of it.” At the end of his explanation, Curtis took out a yellow sticky note from his pocket and handed it to Rayna. “It's been confirmed that this is Cassidy's handwriting.”
Rayna took the folded sticky note and opened it. It read: The different colors of the medicine packaging represent the different stages at which the particular medicine should be used. I've written the approximate time and dosage on top of them.
Instead of a signature, the back of the sticky note had what looked like a stamp that belonged to Cassidy.
“Theodore just called to inform us that he found the female doctor we encountered in Shvomhid Mountain and has brought her back to the base,” Curtis continued.
“That's quick.” Rayna folded the sticky note before putting it in her pocket.
“Theodore has been looking for her even before this. He told me that when he first thought you had a parasite inside your body, the first person that came to mind was her—Simone Miles.”
“What about Milo, that doctor?” Rayna asked. She remembered that Hamish was Milo's elder brother.
“Milo is still at Shvomhid Mountain. His work forbids him from leaving the hospital freely,” Curtis explained.
A beat later, he added, “I've verified Milo's and Simone's identities. Everything's fine, so don't worry.”
Rayna nodded in acknowledgment before both of them left the courtyard and got into the car.
“They're gone.” Andrew placed the tablet he was holding in front of Cassidy. “See for yourself.”
He then sat on the couch beside her, crossing his legs as he observed her.
She threw a glance at the tablet placed on the coffee table. “Isn't that what you want?”
In response to her remark, he trained his ebony eyes on her, enunciating, “Do you think I'm not aware of the medicine you dispensed for Rayna?”
While staring calmly at the swimming pool, Cassidy picked up her cup from the coffee table. “I never planned to hide it from you.”
Andrew raised his wine glass to his lips and took a sip. “Ashley searched your home but couldn't find it,” he drawled.
Cassidy's hand, which was holding the cup, froze abruptly. Casting him an indifferent look, she asked, “Aren't you worried that Rayna and the others will find out?”
“They won't,” he replied with certainty.
“Is that so?” Cassidy's gaze was back on the tranquil pool water. “You sent Fernando back to Norwal City because you knew Rayna and her group would be going back today, didn't you?”
“I was sure about their return to Norwal City, but not the exact time.” Andrew finished the remaining wine in a single gulp before getting up to his feet. Upon taking off his bathrobe, he dived into the swimming pool.
Seated on the couch, Cassidy watched him swim with powerful strokes. Her grip on the cup slowly tightened.
Moments later, she got up to leave. Just as she took a few steps forward, a bodyguard approached her. “We've brought Yuna and Yasmin over.”
His report stunned Cassidy, who then stopped in her tracks and turned around to stare at the man still swimming in the pool.
“Where are they?” she asked with clenched fists.
“In the bungalow,” the bodyguard replied.
After shooting him a stony look, she was about to leave when Andrew's deep voice rang out behind her. “Come down here.”
Again, she halted in her tracks and looked at the man over her shoulder. “Why did you bring Yuna and Yasmin here?”
Andrew dismissed the bodyguard with a wave of his hand.
Standing in the center of the pool, he extended his hand toward Cassidy. “Come down here.”
“You are aware that I don't know how to swim,” she responded frostily before attempting to leave for the third time.
“I sent Fernando back to Norwal City to deal with Glory's affair now that Curtis and Rayna have gone back to rat out the mole.” Andrew's intimidating voice continued to sound. “Jensen has a girl from Glory in his pocket, and Fernando's objective is to assist him.”
Cassidy turned around and glowered at Andrew. “You did this on purpose! Jensen and Fernando have always been at loggerheads.”
“Whether or not Fernando can return from Norwal City safely will depend on your decision.” Retracting his outstretched hand, Andrew fixed her with an insidious look.
Cassidy balled her fists again before undoing the knot on her bathrobe. The garment slipped down her body, and she gradually entered the pool.
With a swift motion, he pulled her into his arms. “I heard from my subordinate that you got Curtis to arrange for Yasmin to go to school.”
“She's now of school-going age. My hands are tied with Yuna over at your side. At the very least, Yasmin can still live an ordinary life,” she replied, glaring coldly at him.
Holding her slender waist, he let his hand roam her body. “What makes you so sure that Yasmin is more normal than Yuna? Perhaps Yasmin is the one who's not normal?”
Cassidy narrowed her eyes at Andrew. “I've given Yasmin a physical examination. She's fine.”
“Is that so? Maybe there's an incubation period?” He scooped her up in his arms, forcing her to hold onto his neck. Satisfied, he quirked his lips, then continued in a frosty tone, “Yuna would be angry to learn that you've sent Yasmin to school.”
Cassidy threw him an indifferent look. “Andrew... you—”
Before she could finish her sentence, her lips were sealed by Andrew's forceful kiss.
Later on, Curtis and Rayna arrived at the Faymon residence in their car at two in the morning.
As Curtis carried the sleeping Rayna out of the car, Alfred, who had heard their arrival, hurriedly came downstairs with the butler's support. “Rayna, you're back...” the elderly man called out.
At the sight of Curtis entering the living room with Rayna in his arms, he asked softly, “Has everything been settled?”
“She can see now,” Curtis stated as he walked around Alfred and headed upstairs without pause.
The sounds from their return were also heard by Linda, who walked out of her bedroom. Upon seeing it was Curtis and Rayna, she hurried forward to greet them but decided against interrupting the young couple since her daughter was asleep.
As she and Alfred stood outside the bedroom, she asked softly, “How did it go? Has she recovered?”
“He says she can see now,” the elderly man replied in a deep voice.
“That's wonderful news. I'm glad to hear it.” Linda wiped away the tears of joy she shed from the joyous
news of her daughter recovering her sight. “Now that her eyes have been healed, she can see her children again.”
Standing beside Alfred, the butler felt his heart warmed by Linda's reaction.
When Curtis emerged from the bedroom, Alfred pulled him aside and asked, “What about the para—”
“It wasn't a parasite,” Curtis asserted. “I'll tell you all the details later. For now, let Rayna rest while I head to the office.”
After taking his leave of Alfred and Linda, he walked down the stairs and left.
Curtis drove straight to the research base.
James and Vance were already there. Together with Jeremy, they were conducting some tests.
“Is the result out yet?” Curtis asked as he walked over and stared at the report on the computer screen.
“Our suspicions are correct. The substance on the rose petals in Ashley's house is the same as the one in Cassidy's bedroom. I suspect it's an ingredient used in facial masks,” James elaborated while looking at the report.
“Facial masks?” Stunned, Curtis turned to look at Jeremy and Vance. “Are you guys sure?”
“We're certain of it. The substance found on the rose petals plucked from Ashley's house matches our samples exactly, and we can't rule out that they're used for facial masks. Moreover, I suspect that the substance was applied to the petals for it to be absorbed by the flower. The goal was probably to create
rose-related skincare products.” Jeremy shared his assumptions on the matter.
He then continued, “I've also consulted Jasmine about this, and she concurs with my theory. Also, these are the skincare products that Glory has recalled from the market. In them, we also found substances similar to the one on the rose petals.” Jeremy retrieved a blue folder from the drawer and handed it to Curtis.
Chapter 749 The Products Have All Been Tampered With
Curtis perused the report and saw that the substances were the same. “It seems that Rayna's hypothesis stands up.”
“It's clear that a comprehensive internal investigation is needed at Glory. Jasmine did it once previously, but I now suspect that it wasn't conducted thoroughly.” Jeremy suggested, “Now that you and Rayna are back, it'd be more convenient for you two to handle it yourselves.”
“Mmm-hmm. I'll deal with it.” Curtis put the report away and stared grimly out the window at the first light of dawn.
When Rayna woke up and realized she was in the Faymon residence, she pulled the covers aside and got out of bed.
The moment she opened the door, the nanny approached with the children in her arms.
As it had been a long while since she last saw her children, Rayna swiftly took her daughter from the nanny's arms. “Xareni, do you miss me?”
Carrying Xareni, she returned to her bedroom while the nanny followed her with Yosef and Yelena in her arms.
No sooner had the two little ones been laid on the bed than they crawled toward their mother. With their outstretched arms, all of them were yearning for a hug.
Rayna hugged them one after another and had to do so for two rounds straight.
“Where's Curtis?” she asked the nanny when she recalled that she had not seen Curtis since she awoke. However, the nanny simply responded with a shake of her head.
After playing with the children for some time, Rayna got the nanny to carry them out for breakfast while she went into the bathroom to wash up.
Linda was playing with the children in the living room when Rayna walked down the stairs. The sight of her daughter brought tears to her eyes.
Rayna approached her mother and gave her a hug. “Mom, I'm back. Don't cry.”
Linda nodded as she wiped her tears away with a tissue. “Roxanne went filming and isn't back yet.”
“It's all right. I can always see her when she comes home,” Rayna reassured her mother.
Just then, Alfred arrived at the living room from upstairs with the butler's support. When he saw Rayna carrying the children, he greeted her with a smile, “Rayna, do you feel any discomfort?”
The young woman shook her head.
After the housekeeper served breakfast on the dining table, the three of them prepared to head to the dining room when the roar of a car engine was heard from the yard.
Stopping in her tracks to look out the window, Rayna was greeted by the sight of Curtis getting out of
the car.
The moment he entered the house, he went over to her side and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Did you manage to sleep well?”
Rayna nodded. “Join us for breakfast.”
Curtis waited for the nanny to take the children from Rayna's arms, then led her to the dining room.
Sitting at the dining table, Alfred asked, “Have you come home for good this time, or are you only staying for a few days?”
Upon hearing his question, Rayna threw Curtis a glance. She did not know how to answer.
“We'll be staying for the time being as there's an ample supply of medication. We'll only need to return when we're running short.” Holding Rayna's hand, Curtis gave her a reassuring look, to which she nodded.
“I told the housekeeper to prepare the medicine. Remember to take it later.” Linda regarded Rayna with a look of concern.
While grunting in acknowledgment, Rayna snuck intermittent glances at the man seated beside her. Despite Curtis' calm countenance, she was still unable to rest easy.
After breakfast, Rayna suggested a visit to Glory to check on the situation there. Naturally, Curtis agreed to it and accompanied her to the office.
Along the journey to the office, she saw many outdoor display screens on skyscrapers reporting on the incident related to Glory's products.
“Did you go to the office earlier?” Rayna asked as she turned to look at Curtis.
“Yeah. I went to the office and the research base.” While speaking, he retrieved a document from the glove compartment and handed it to her. “Take a look at this. It's the comparison report between the substance mixed into Glory's products and the one found on the flower petal in Ashley's house.”
After casually flipping through a few pages of the document, Rayna set it aside. “It looks like Ashley is the biggest problem. The flowers in Cassidy's house were big but contained no foreign substances. Serekos were in the soil, so the soil's properties are the only things that changed,” she stated flatly.
A beat later, she asked, “Is there any news from the residence? Have they found Yasmin and Yuna yet?”
“Both of them have been sent to Andrew's place, so there's no one else but the bodyguards at the residence,” Curtis replied.
His words caused Rayna to sigh. “Just as expected, Yuna is still siding with Mr. Zeller. I wonder how Cassidy is doing now.”
Soon, their car gradually came to a stop in Glory's underground parking lot. Once the couple exited the vehicle, they took the elevator upstairs.
The elevator stopped on the eighteenth floor. Just as Rayna was about to step out, she ran into a female employee.
The already frantic-looking employee panicked further at the sight of Rayna. “I'm sorry, Ms. Garland. I didn't see you coming,” she said, apologizing profusely.
Rayna waved her hands as she exited the elevator. Thereafter, she turned around to glance at the sign marking the elevator for her private use. Once she was certain of the fact, she questioned, “Do you use this elevator during normal times?”
The color drained from the female employee's face. “I... No...” she stuttered in palpable panic.
When Curtis emerged from the elevator behind Rayna, he trained his sharp eyes on the female employee. “What's that document you're carrying?”
The employee's hand that was holding the document instantly stiffened. Cautiously, she raised her eyes to look at Curtis and Rayna. “This is from the R&D department.”
“The R&D department? No one is allowed to take documents out of there. Why do you have it? They have a huge office and their own archives, so what are you doing with this document?” Rayna questioned calmly.
The employee stammered, “T-This... is... for the tests...”
No sooner had Rayna heard the word “testing” than she snatched the document over. After skimming a few pages, she eyed the employee with a solemn look. “Are you bringing this to your next employer or trying to sell it yourself?”
The document turned out to be a record of the past products Glory had developed.
“I...” The employee dropped to her knees from fear. “I'm sorry, Ms. Garland. I... This document... I just need money. Someone told me to bring this over, and they'll pay me a sum in return. I want my child to receive medical treatment...”
The employee's act of bemoaning made Rayna smirk. After cocking a brow at Curtis, she walked past him and continued forward.
Behind her, Curtis whipped out his phone to make a call. Soon, someone arrived to escort the female employee downstairs.
With the document in hand, Rayna headed straight to the laboratory. When she saw the employees working inside the room through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she was momentarily stunned.
Curtis came up from behind her. “We have to interrogate her.”
“Yeah,” Rayna replied. “Nowadays, people like to use children as an excuse when caught red- handed...”
Having detected the sarcasm in her tone, Curtis smiled. “I'm surprised you were able to see through her convincing act.”
“As a mother, I can tell from a woman's vibe if she's also one,” she explained, placing the document in his grip. “I'm going in to take a look. You should wait outside.”
Before Curtis could suggest that they enter together, Rayna had already walked off.
After putting on a cleanroom suit, she pushed open the doors to the laboratory. “How are the tests coming along?”
At the sound of her voice, the employees turned around to look at her. Once they ascertained it was Rayna, a few came forth to hug her, but she stopped them and gestured for them to continue with their work on hand.
“Someone has tampered with our G-range products with an unknown element.” One of the members of the R&D team approached her and handed her a tablet.
Rayna read the report intently. “Does this element have any effect on human skin?”
Chapter 750 Falling Short Of Expectations
“As of now, we have yet to come to a conclusion. Previously, Mr. Faymon did ask us to conduct experiments first. In the beginning, we discovered that this element has a certain anti-aging effect on human skin. However, we noticed that the skin starts to rot after a week.” While speaking, the R&D team member presented a set of data taken from experimenting on a gorilla's backside to Rayna.
“You're using gorillas as test subjects?” Upon seeing the hairless gorilla in the photo, Rayna was stunned.
“Since we still don't know the side effects of the element, we didn't dare to use humans as test subjects. In this case, a gorilla's buttock is the best choice.” The R&D team member was a young man. Scratching his head awkwardly, he explained, “Gorillas are the most similar to humans. Besides, this gorilla is naturally hairless, so it's more convenient to conduct experiments on it.”
In the photo, there were signs of rotten flesh on the gorilla's arm. Rayna felt a sense of suffocation when she saw it. “Have you arranged for a veterinarian to treat it?”
“We have. This photo was taken at the very beginning when its skin just started to rot. It's much better now,” the R&D team member quickly explained when he noticed a hint of displeasure on Rayna's face.
Then, he showed her a photo taken not long ago. “This is the most recent photo.”
There was a date on the photo. It was three days ago.
“I have no objection to you all using animal testing when it comes to experiments that are absolutely
necessary. But you must know when to stop and not to overdo it.” As Rayna spoke, she directed her gaze at Curtis, who had been staring at the tablet while standing beside her.
He was focused, even double-checking the photos she had seen earlier.
“Any discoveries?” Rayna inquired as she leaned forward.
“This gorilla's arm looks evidently better than the other.” Curtis pointed at the gorilla's arm in the photo. “There are way fewer wrinkles on its left hand than its right. Also, this is a photo from before. You can still see the difference when you compare both photos.”
Looking at the photo displayed on the tablet, Rayna also realized the phenomenon. “Could it be that this element can really improve the skin's condition?” But the R&D team member just said it would cause the skin to rot.
“Have you found the exact cause of the rotting skin?” Curtis asked the R&D team member in a deep voice.
“We haven't come to a conclusion yet, as we're still in the process of elimination,” the latter answered.
“By the way, how are the documents in the R&D department usually stored?” Rayna recalled the female employee who had stolen the document.
“We just store them in the archive cabinets in the room next door.” The R&D team member pointed in a direction.
At that, Rayna shot Curtis a look, and they both went to the archives together. As soon as they pushed the door open, they felt the stuffy air from inside the room blowing on their faces.
After switching on the lights, Rayna stood in the center of the room and looked at the cabinets filled with documents. The cabinets were not locked at all, and some of them were even left open.
Curtis furrowed his brows at the situation, his expression cold.
“Have you all been keeping documents like this all this while?” Rayna asked.
Previously, when she was handling the affairs at the R&D department, she was more focused on the products and never paid attention to the backend operations.
With an embarrassed expression, the R&D team member looked at Rayna and slowly explained, “Initially, there is a lady working in the archives. This is how she always performs at work, and we've never seen anyone reprimand her. We are quite busy, too. Although we know we shouldn't keep documents like this and have notified her in the beginning, she refused to listen, so we eventually gave up.”
“Was the person we bumped into in front of the elevator the person in charge of here?” Rayna asked Curtis.
Curtis shook his head. “She's from the product development department; she's not responsible for the archives.”
“Where is the person in charge of here, then?” Rayna asked again as she looked at the R&D team member.
“She took leave and has been away for almost a week. The employee from the product development department is just here to substitute for her position temporarily. Ms. Sanders knows about this,” the latter explained.
“I'll ask Jasmine about this.” Curtis informed Rayna before stepping out of the archives. He then stood in the corridor and phoned Jasmine to ask about the situation.
Standing in the archives, Rayna darted glances between the door and the documents stored in the room. Frowning, she ordered, “Please lock this door in the future. Also, all the documents here must be categorized and archived properly. The person in charge of this must be professional.”
Afterward, she asked, “Is that fine with all of you?”
“That'll be the best solution. We are also planning to reorganize this place as it's too inconvenient.” A female R&D team member immediately agreed with Rayna's words. “I'm sure one order from the boss herself will be way more effective than us putting forth suggestions numerous times.”
“I'm sorry. There has been a minor accident previously. Thank you all for the hard work you have been putting in at Glory. I hope everyone will work hand in hand and make progress together to overcome this crisis.” Rayna chatted with her employees in a gentle manner.
“Of course, we will.” Those from the R&D department expressed their support for her.
Curtis, who returned to the archives after the phone call, chanced upon the scene of Rayna talking with the researchers. A faint smile appeared on his face as he said to Rayna, “I've verified the situation with Jasmine. Previously, she told the lady stationed in the archives to organize the place, but she didn't
follow up on it because she was too busy. Besides, she isn't aware that the lady is on leave. Hence, the matter got delayed.”
A female employee from the R&D department of a similar age as Jasmine explained, “Ms. Sanders had always been handling matters regarding public relations. While she does wish to manage the R&D department, she doesn't have the energy to do so.”
“I understand. All right, since I'm back now, you can tell me directly if you encounter any troublesome matters in the future. Talking to me in person or sending me an email is fine.” After gaining a general understanding of what was happening, Rayna had a short round of conversation with her subordinates, then left the R&D department with Curtis.
“Are we heading to the PR department?” Curtis asked softly while looking at Rayna, who was linking her arm with his.
“Yeah. I want to check on their progress.” The woman had a somber expression on her face.
At that moment, the employees of the PR department were discussing the controversy surrounding Glory's products. They blamed the situation on the R&D department's subpar performance in conducting research.
A young lady in the PR department was complaining to her colleagues. “The skincare industry itself is an industry that'll easily come under fire. So, those from the R&D department are supposed to be more cautious. After causing so much trouble, they're still staying in the lab to conduct experiments and analyze data. Yet, we're the ones who have to worry about how to settle the controversy. I honestly think this is a high-stress and low-paying job for us.”
Just then, Rayna and Curtis arrived at the entrance of the PR department and coincidentally heard her utterances. The two of them exchanged glances.
Rayna was about to enter the office, but Curtis held her back.
Before she could ask him why he was stopping her, he said, “I'll handle it.”
With that, he stepped into the PR department. His handmade leather shoes created rather loud footsteps when he walked, attracting the gazes of everyone in the department.
The female employee who was complaining earlier turned around and saw Curtis standing behind her. As she looked behind him and spotted Rayna, who had a dark expression, her heart sank. “Oh no...”
“Looks like you all have a strong opinion on the crisis faced by the company this time, huh?” With his hands in his pockets, Curtis swept an icy gaze across everyone in the department.
Rayna voiced, “At this juncture, you are supposed to be thinking of solutions to resolve this crisis instead of complaining.” She then walked over to stand beside Curtis and held his arm.